For Immediate Release
September 8, 2022

Media Contact: Jim Britt

Coastal Community Grants Available for Municipal and Regional Projects

Augusta, ME ? The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) is seeking applications for a new round of Coastal Community Grants (CCG). FY23 CCG details and the program statement are found on the MPAP website. CCG applications are due Monday, October 14, 2022, by 5:00 pm.

Open to counties, municipalities, unorganized territories, tribal governments, and Regional Planning Organizations in Maine's coastal zone, CCG competitive grants include projects in Maine's coastal zone with a focus on the following priority coastal issues, as identified by the Maine Coastal Program and the Maine Climate Council's Maine Won't Wait: A Four-Year Plan for Climate Action:

• Building Community Resiliency to Adapt to a Changing Climate
• Planning for Green Infrastructure
• Preparing for Flooding, Sea Level Rise, Coastal Storms and Storm Surge, and Shoreline Erosion
• Land Use Activity Impacts on Water Quality

CCGs are an important element of the MPAP mission to foster innovative and effective approaches to land use management by providing technical and financial assistance to Maine municipalities.

The Municipal Planning Assistance Program anticipates making multiple CCG awards ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. Total funds available for the FY 2023 program are approximately $150,000. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides funding for these grants in cooperation with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Maine Coastal Program.

This CCG statement is being released to coincide with the second round of Community Action Grants from the Community Resilience Partnership in the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. CCG applicants are encouraged to examine opportunities for coordinating these two grant programs to maximize project scope and efficiencies. As non-federal funding, CCGs provide an eligible match for the federal Coastal Community Grant opportunity.

CCG case studies, which include 'Lessons Learned' from previously funded projects, are available on MPAP's CCG Case Studies webpage. Questions about CCG applications should be directed to Joan A. Walton, [email protected], (207) 419-8661.

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